FAQ for Students
For students
The Discovery Scholars Program currently seeks applications from students in the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and HEST who wish to work with faculty mentors in their colleges. Thank you for considering mentoring a student through this program.
Mentoring DSP scholars is a rewarding experience, mutually beneficial for the scholar and the mentor. If you have never been a DSP mentor and want to know more, check out the FAQ below or contact us with specific questions.
DSP is completely free for scholars and mentors!
The DSP sometimes has grants available to support scholars’ research and professional development, but we cannot guarantee funding availability from semester to semester.
There is no required number of hours. Students and mentors agree on a project and timeline, based on the number of hours the student can commit to. Projects are initially approved for a year, and can be renewed upon mutual agreement.
The scope of your project should be decided in a conversation between you and your mentor. The project should be a new intellectual/artistic contribution that can be completed within the time you have available (in your schedule and prior to graduation).
Your project should be a new intellectual or artistic endeavor, not something for which you are already receiving course credit. Your project can be related to work you have done in a class or a lab setting, but you should have some intellectual contribution to it that sets it apart from work already being done.
Completing the project, regardless of the outcome, is never a “fail!” So long as you complete your project and achieve your professional development goals, you will remain a DSP scholar.
Once you have been accepted, you and your mentor will need to submit a mentoring compact to the team. You will also need to submit a progress report towards the end of each year in the program, and will need to update us when you file for graduation so that we can make sure to give you your DSP sash. And of course, we are always here if you have any questions or concerns about your project, and if you want to share good news about your progress!
Please let us know if your project or goals change substantially. If you wish to change mentors, you will likely need to identify a new mentor and develop a plan for a new project. Please reach out to us so that we can work with you.
Most DSP scholars follow these steps to get going:
1. Find a mentor! We recommend that you ask a professor or lab instructor whose research is interesting to you if they would be willing to mentor you, or if they have suggestions for possible mentors. You can also check out faculty research pages on departmental websites.
2. Discuss DSP with your mentor and agree on a project and a professional development activity.
3. Prepare a DSP application and ask your mentor for a brief letter of support to include with your application.